Gallup: Morality Ratings the Worst in Five Years

[Mark E. Smith]

Americans becoming more pessimistic about morals

Gallup News Service

PRINCETON, NJ -- American's perceptions about moral values in the United States are more negative today than at any other time in the last five years. Over three-quarters of Americans (77%) hold negative views about the nation's more climate, up from 70% last year and 65% in 2002. That leaves only 7% of Americans holding positive views, and another 12% holding mixed views.

http://poll.gallup.com/content/?ci=22942

I don't see my category represented here, which would be "people who burst out laughing when asked these stupid questions." But that aside, wasn't this the kind of thing the Little Drunk was supposed to make better? Or something?

[natrat]

1. the little drunk has redefined the term sleazey politician

[saigon68]

10. He has also lowered the public's favorable impressions of Chimpanzees

[Canuckistanian]

2. What exactly do they mean by "morality"?

If you ask a RWer, the country is going to hell because all the queers are trying to molest the children, liberal judges are forcing abortion and sex is getting out of control.

If you ask a liberal/progressive, irrational hatred and racism are rampant, torture and death of innocent civilians is being encouraged by some people and the poor and disadvantaged are falling even more behind in the richest country in the world.

It all depends on your view of "morality"

[Orsino]

7. It's the total of...

...the lefties and moderates astounded by the corruption in American politics and the military plus the artificial outrage of the fundies continually being pumped to new extremes by bigotry.

Everyone gets to be angry.

[nodehopper]

16. sadly, I don't think it's artificial on their part

they really believe this sh*t, with foam at the mouth.

[Orsino]

17. Only because so much money has been thrown into...

...the propaganda machine, carefully nurturing the hate.

[KansDem]

18. It doesn't matter...

Republicans and George W. Bush are to blame for this. Period.

The GOP controls the White House, the Congress, and the Supreme Court, and owns the Media. Republicans have used morality as a campaign issue; and Bush ran as a "moralist." No matter how you look at it, it is George and the GOP who corrupted "morality." One need only look at a long list of their transgressions since the stolen election of 2000 to see this.

The Democrats have very little to do with the slide into this cesspool. Their worse contribution could be that they have been more "followers" then "opposers" to the GOP agenda. But then, the Democrats have never made "morality" a direct campaign issue. I agree with your assessment regarding the "liberal/progressive;" "morality" is a deep-seated notion that holds civilization together, not some platitude to air on the 5:00pm news. That's why the Democrats held Congress for some 40 years: it was the sense of "fair play," tolerance, and civil rights for all. Party politics aside, I believe that's what the voter had in the backs of their minds from WWII to 1980 when they went to the polls. The Republicans knew this and, sensing they could not win on their platform alone, looked to another strategy to woo voters. It took the denigration of "morality" by the Republicans to stir "hate," which they then used to win. "Hate" first manifesting in the rantings of Rush and his wannabees, then "hate" coming to the fore of religious rhetoric, and finally, the emergence of a Republican Party immersed in "hate." Such a plank in the GOP Party's platform will not last.

In some respects you have clearly shown the main differences between the two parties. I might go a step further and suggest that with the liberals/progressives, their morality is based on long-standing, deeply-rooted beliefs that traverses political persuasions and nationalities. The morality of American conservatives, however, have come about somewhat more recently, somewhat more superficially as a last-ditch effort to win elections at all costs.

[Matariki]

20. Thank you for saying that

Morality is usually defined in terms of someone else's sexuality. I'd rather see it defined in the progressive terms you list, along with stewardship of the earth, fairness to all people and basic integrity.

[Guaranteed]

3. I think it's because people being polled are talking

about REAL morals.

[xchrom]

4. maybe they'd feel a little more positive if they'd stop thinking

about other peoples hoo-has and wee-wees and what they do with them?

[tabasco]

5. Hey, the adults are in charge now.

Too bad the adults are traitorous, corrupt, immoral, criminal assholes.

But I'm sure the decline is due to the Clenis.

[VegasWolf]

6. Bush and his Culture Of Corruption. nt

[Raine]

8. The moral declined started with Raygun

and has continually gotten worse but that's what happens when you put greed above all else. :-(

[Vidar]

9. Duh.

[drhilarius]

11. Does this measure true or bullshit morals...

meaning:

true- upset that our leaders in government and business are lying to us on a daily basis.

bullshit- getting upset over the fact that we don't call people faggots as much as we should.

[DiscussTheTruth]

13. You mean Bushit morals! nt

nt

[DiscussTheTruth]

12. Hmmm.

7. How would you rate the overall state of moral values in this country today -- as excellent, good, only fair, or poor?

poor.

8. Right now, do you think the state of moral values in the country as a whole is getting better or getting worse?

getting worse.

---
Maybe people are just picking up on the bad vibes of anger and fear from the rest of the world. Or maybe the country is split and the republicans, democrats and corporations keep working us against each other until we suffer a major rash while being !ucked to death.

On the most basic level any government that constantly divides it's populace by setting them against each other in ideology so they can maintain power are “evil doers”. I don’t remember much about my bible training from the old days but I believe the devil comes to steal, kill and destroy. In order to steal kill and destroy you normally divide and conquer first.

[Bridget Burke]

14. In another thread you lamented the "Christian" education...

Forced upon you in public school. However, you didn't learn much about the Devil. He convinces people to steal, kill & destroy. He doesn't need to do it himself.

How, pray tell, are the "democrats" working us against each other?

[Roland99]

15. Hunh? What? It's obviously the fault of the "godless liberals" who are...

working to keep this noble and righteous administration from driving America on the road to ruin...er....salvation.

[onager]

19. It's the gramophone, I tell you!

The gramophone, and those durn moving pictures, are just letting the young folks run wild nowadays.

That Model T isn't helping any, either. We need a law that people can only drive automobiles to church. And maybe work, in an emergency.